Apparatus for confining cobbles

ABSTRACT

Method and apparatus for the protection of rolling mill personnel and machinery and which localizes and confines wrecked metallic material (cobbles) and facilitates removal thereof. A rigid structure encloses at least part of the line between successive rolling mill stands and confines cobbles therewithin. Metallic material undergoing rolling is sheared upstream of an existing cobble permitting localization of both the cobble and its effects.

United States Patent Sept. 12, 1972 Valonis [54] APPARATUS FOR CONFINING COBBLES [72] Inventor: Edmund J. Valonis, l-lomewood, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Inland Steel Company, Chicago, Ill.

[22] vFiled: May 8, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 35,634

[52 US. Cl. ..72/37, 72/227, 72/250 [51] Int. Cl. ..,B21c 51/00, B2lb 21/00 [58] Field of Search ..72/250, 227, 37

[56] 1 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 351,675 10/1886 Weaver ..72/227 9/1917 Horvath ..72/37 3,186,207 6/1965 Schmitt .Q ..72/250 1,410,696 3/1922 Malzi ..72/37 182,834 10/1876 Lauth ..72/227 Primary Examiner-Richard J. Herbst Assistant Examiner-R. M. Rogers Att0rneyMerriam, Marshall, Shapiro & Klose [57] ABSTRACT 8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED E 12 I972 3.690.134

sum 1 OF 2 19770N6YS APPARATUS FOR CONFINING COBBLES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a method of and an apparatus for the protection of rolling mills. In particular, the invention relates to a merchant mill protecting system wherein wrecked (cobbled) elongated metallic material undergoing rolling (e.g. bars or rods) is confined to a small, easily-removable location.

Commercial steel bars are usually fabricated on a merchant or bar mill. The method of fabrication comprises passing the rough steel slab or billet at an elevated temperature through a series of grooved rolls mounted on a succession of rolling stands. One common system in use today is the straight-away continuous rolling mill, employing a plurality of rolling stands in a straight line.

As the steel bar passes from its initial or'roughing stages to its final form, the cross-section of the steel bar is gradually reduced by successively reducing the dimensions of the grooves on successive rolls. The bar is carried from stand to stand by a carry-over trough which extends between a pair of adjacent rolling stands. The rolling process is performed at a very rapid rate, most often around 3,000 feet per minute, although there are some mills in the 10,000 to 11,000 foot per minute rate. A

Each roll stand is equipped with electrical switches, gauges, hoses, small pipes, etc. required for the mills operation. Mill personnel work near the mill while it is in operation.

It is not uncommon in the operation of the mill to have a wreck (cobble). Cobbles are usually caused by the failure of a rod, exiting an upstream stand, to properly enter the next stand downstream. The result is a mass of hot, plastic, steel bar thrashing about at the location of the cobble. This is dangerous both to personnel and to equipment, and has caused prolonged shutdowns of the rolling operation to cut up and remove the cobble.

In the "past, efforts to protect against the cobble included shields to cover the exposed mechanical and electrical apparatus. Not only was this completely unsatisfactory for protection of personnel, but also the need for visual and manual access to this apparatus necessitated cutting holes in the shields, with a resultant loss in efficiency.

One result of a sudden mill shutdown has been to produce unworkable metallic material not only at the location of the cobble, but also at (and between) each of the upstream mill stands. This material may itself be cobbled (wrecked by failure to overcome the inertia of the rapidly moving bar) or may have cooled too much for further. rolling. In either case the material must be cut up and removed from all of these locations before the mill can be returned to an operational state, further adding to mill shutdown time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an apparatus and method for confining cobbled material and for protecting both apparatus and personnel. The resulting confined cobbled material is in an easily removable form thus considerably shortening mill shutdown time. The result is a safer, more efficient and more productive rolling operation.

The protective function is accomplished through the use of a rigid cobble-confining structure surrounding a carry-over trough between rolling stands. When a wreck occurs, cobbled material is restrained by the rigid walls of the confiner until at least a portion of the mill is shut down. Access structure on the rigid confiner allows the compact cobbled metallic material to be easily removed.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it localizes the effect of the wreck to that area of the mill where the cobble develops rather than at several locations upstream of the cobble, as has conventionally been the case.

Other features and advantages are inherent in the apparatus and method claimed and disclosed, or will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of a portion of a rolling mill incorporating an embodiment of protective devices in accordance with present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the protective device;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 ofFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a rolling mill incorporating two protective devices or cobble confiners indicated generally at 10, 10a, each situated downstream of a respective rolling mill stand l1, 12. A shear 13 lies upstream of stand 11 (to the left in FIG. 1). One or more additional stands may be located downstream of stand 12.

A rod 14 is reduced in cross section as it passes from left to right through stands ll, 12. Each protective device 10, 10a surrounds part of a respective trough 16, 36. Trough 16 extends between rolling mill stands 11, 12 and includes a flared end portion 17, adjacent the exit end 40 of stand 11 for receiving rod 14, an intermediate portion 32 within protective device 10, and a flared guide portion 18, adjacent the entrance end 41 of stand 12, for delivering rod 14 to stand 12.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, protective device 10 includes top and bottom portions 22, 19 respectively. Bottom portion 19 rests on supports 20 and surrounds intermediate portion 32 of trough 16. Bottom portion 19 has a pair of end walls 25, 25 and a bottom wall 27, constructed of steel plate, and a pair of side walls 21, 21 at least one of which is made of expanded metal mesh for observation of the contents of cobble confiner 10. Opposed end walls 25, 25 and opposed side walls 21, 21 taper downwardly for easy removal of material entrapped within. Walls 21, 25, and 27 are reinforced by frame 31 at their edges.

Top portion 22 rests on bottom portion 19 and is secured thereto by slots and pins at 29, 29. Upper lifting hooks 30 facilitate removal of top portion 22 from,

and access to the contents of, bottom portion 19. Top portion 22 includes end walls 23, 23 side walls 24, 24 and a top wall 26 all constructed of steel plate. Opposed end walls 23, 23 and opposed side walls 24, 24 taper upwardly for easy removal from about confined material. Walls 23, 24 and 26 are reinforced by frame 31 at their edges.

Referring to FIG. 5, trough intermediate portion 32 has trough side walls 38, 39 and a trough bottom wall 37 which guide rod 14 between stands 11, 12 and restrain lateral and downward motion of the rod. Bottom wall 27 of bottom portion 19 is joined to, and

slopes upwardly from, trough side wall 39.

FIG. 4 illustrates the interior of a cobble confiner of the invention (e.g. protective device a) when a cobble 28 has occurred. Cobble 28 is contained by the walls of protective device 10a. After the cobble has been contained, top portion 22 can be removed and cobble 28 can be disposed of. Cobble 28 is caused by the failure of rod 14, leaving a given rolling mill stand (e.g. 12) to enter the next stand downstream.

Referring now to FIG. 1, if cobble 28 should occur at protective device 10a, the mill is not shut down, but is kept in an operational state; and shear l3, upstream of stand 11, is actuated. This allows that part of rod 14 downstream of shear 13 to collect as a cobble within protective device 10a, downstream of stand 12, while that part of rod 14 upstream of shear 13 is cut into small bars which pile up at the foot 43 of shear 13.

If the amount of rod downstream of shear 13 should prove to be too great to be confined as a cobble in device 10a, rolling mill stand 12 can be shut down and the remainder of the rod will collect as a cobble within protective device 10 between stands 11 and 12.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rolling mill employing a rolling mill stand and a trough on at least one side of said rolling mill stand, said trough having a pair of trough side walls and a trough bottom wall, the additional features comprising: a protective device at least partially enclosing said trough for confining cobbled metallic material to a space adjacent to said trough and having a substantial vertical dimension compared to the vertical dimension of said trough; said protective device having vertically extending side walls and a top wall defining said space; the side walls and top wall of said protective device having a substantially greater area than said trough side walls and said trough bottom wall, whereby said space for confining cobbled metallic material is of substantially greater volume than said trough; and access means on said protective device for removing therefrom said cobbled metallic material. 2. In a rolling mill according to claim 1 wherein said protective device comprises a rigid box-like structure.

3. In a rolling mill according to claim 1 wherein said protective device is located immediately upstream of said rolling stand.

4. In a rolling mill according to claim 1 wherein said protective device substantially encloses said trough. 5. In a rolling mill according to claim 1 wherein: said protective device comprises bottom and top portions; and said access means comprises means removably mounti said to orti non said bottom ortion. 6. In a roiii ng mill ceordihg to claim 1 whe iein said 

1. In a rolling mill employing a rolling mill stand and a trough on at least one side of said rolling mill stand, said trough having a pair of trough side walls and a trough bottom wall, the additional features comprising: a protective device at least partially enclosing said trough for confining cobbled metallic material to a space adjacent to said trough and having a substantial vertical dimension compared to the vertical dimension of said trough; said protective device having vertically extending side walls and a top wall defining said space; the side walls and top wall of said protective device having a substantially greater area than said trough side walls and said trough bottom wall, whereby said space for confining cobbled metallic material is of substantially greater volume than said trough; and access means on said protective device for removing therefrom said cobbled metallic material.
 2. In a rolling mill according to claim 1 wherein said protective device comprises a rigid box-like structure.
 3. In a rolling mill according to claim 1 wherein said protective device is located immediately upstream of said rolling stand.
 4. In a rolling mill according to claim 1 wherein said protective device substantially encloses said trough.
 5. In a rolling mill according to claim 1 wherein: said protective device comprises bottom and top portions; and said access means comprises means removably mounting said top portion on said bottom portion.
 6. In a rolling mill according to claim 1 wherein said protective device comprises means for viewing the interior thereof.
 7. In a rolling mill according to claim 6 wherein said viewing means comprises means for confining said cobbled metallic material while permitting it to be viewed from the outside of the protective device.
 8. In a rolling mill according to claim 1 wherein said protective device comprises a pair of mutually opposed rigid, box-like members. 